Naïve is the team that thinks they won’t face any mechanical issues at the start of the Mongol Rally. I’ll admit, my particular brand of optimism regarding the state of our Polo did lead us to feel that we’d at least meet the Google Maps expectation of the time it would take for us to drive from Düsseldorf to Prague in anticipation of the European Mongol Rally launch: approximately 7 hours.
LOL
We left Düsseldorf in relatively good spirits. This was despite the couple confirmed issues we have with the car that we can mostly handle. Exhibit A:
Our Polo is a manual transmission. This isn’t an issue, both of us can drive manual cars. The thing is, we’re both quite short (I’m 160cm & Mom is around 157cm). To start the car and upshift, the clutch has to be depressed fully, and on this car it’s REEEEEEEALLY far; we literally cannot reach the necessary length to engage the clutch! Solution: the platform sandal (yes, singular) Mom bought that gives her the crucial extra cm to give the clutch the proper push (well…close enough anyway) This is now her driving shoe!
Exhibit B:
The driver’s side window can roll down now! We just had to compromise with a new system. I swear, it works.
With all this in mind, we set out at 10:30am on Saturday. Fully intending to arrive at our hotel in Prague by 6 or 7pm, we were relaxed but HOT on the autobahn. In what began as a routine stop for some shade and refreshment, we noticed this just outside Dortmund:
The left rear wheel was VERY flat. 🙁 After an initial attempt to refill it was unsuccessful, I noticed the air intake valve on the rim of the tire was badly cracked and leaking air. There was a desperate but failed attempt to fix it with duct tape. We then sought to take the easy solution of contacting ADAC (AAA membership can go pretty far apparently), but after a total of 5 hours waiting for assistance only to realize that ADAC had forgotten all about us, we sucked it up, put on the teeny spare from the boot, and drove off in a desperate hope to reach Prague (AAA membership didn’t go far enough this time, alas!)
With the spare tire on, our maximum speed was limited to 80km/h. We tried to keep going, but by 2am exhaustion took hold and we were forced to nap in a wayside area until dawn an hour outside of Leipzig. At half past 5am, we continued again and, by some miracle, we actually made it to Prague by noon! Defying bad luck (and possibly logic), the little spare tire lasted over 650km in one go, and in one piece!
This little guy was so good, I decided to name it Per after after our favourite Weltmeister centre back: slow, but stalwart!
There’s no way we’re going to Klenová with Per though, so tomorrow we’ll head to a garage for a proper tire. In our hotel now, the feeling is relief! Clean, not smelling of sweat and stress, and air conditioning! We’re cherishing it while it lasts.
Frances
July 26th, 2014 15:14
lol @ the curses of being short, it is a burden I know too well. Hot damn that is a hot driving shoe though. I am both impressed and scared by your driver's side window repair job.
Ruth
July 21st, 2014 17:29
Mitra and Sheila, I am just getting back to you Blog now. Being not very tech savy. I love the stylish driving shoe (singular)'and the zip tie. Most things can be held together with zip ties and duct tape. Thank goodness for Per. I hope he still has enough life in him for future emergencies.